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Quarter Horse Colors
     
Under Construction, 6/24/2006
The Quarter Horse breed has listed 17 acceptable colors for
registration of foals (as of 2006). More colors exist that aren't listed, and if you have
such a foal, you should register it according to the closest genetic color
option that fits what you feel the foal will be at maturity. For
example, a white horse with blue eyes that is "aa" for Agouti is really a
double-diluted black. But it can be registered as a Perlino.
In addition, champagne and silver dapple genes are present in some QH's, but
their colors are not options offered on the registration application. Combinations
of multiple modifying genes also exist, and AQHA can help you
determine the best color to register your foal if you are uncertain how it
should be listed. We have a palomino mare that
AQHA registered as a red dun.
When questioned, they said it was because they knew she had dun factor due
to her sire being a 100% color producer. Although she looks like a white-maned palomino
with very faint gold striping, they required that she be registered as a red
dun. They have rules they must follow, so inquire if you have a question.
2006 AQHA Registrations By Color
Courtesy of Deb Black at AQHA and
www.prettyquarterhorses.net
Percentages added by Cedar Ridge Quarter
Horses
|
Color of Horse |
Number of Horses Registered |
Percent of
Registrations |
|
Bay |
30,862 |
18.69% |
|
Bay
Roan |
3,864 |
2.34% |
|
Black |
5,844 |
3.54% |
|
Blue Roan
|
3,747 |
2.27% |
|
Brown |
7,660 |
4.64% |
|
Buckskin |
8,811 |
5.34% |
|
Chestnut |
13,256 |
8.03% |
|
Cremello |
741 |
0.45% |
|
Dun |
5,945 |
3.60% |
|
Grey |
11,659 |
7.06% |
|
Grulla |
1,693 |
1.03% |
|
Palomino |
13,022 |
7.89% |
|
Perlino |
234 |
0.14% |
|
Red
Dun |
4,855 |
2.94% |
|
Red
Roan |
5,852 |
3.54% |
|
Sorrel |
46,976 |
28.45% |
|
TOTAL |
165,114 |
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The table below shows horses that meet the required genetics
for each color. Not all horses pictured are Quarter Horses, but the
color genetics are the topic here, not breeds. :-)
The colors listed (as of 2006) are:
Sorrel
Body color reddish or copper-red; mane and tail usually
same color as body, but may be flaxen. The most common color of American
Quarter Horses. |
Bay
Body color ranging from tan, through red, to reddish
brown; mane and tail black; black on lower legs. |
Black
Body color true black without light areas; mane and tail
black. Sun fading acceptable. |
Gray
Body color a mixture of white with any other colored
hairs; often born solid-colored or almost solid-colored and gets lighter
with age as more white hairs appear. |
Chestnut
Body color dark red or brownish-red; mane and tail
usually dark red or brownish-red but may be flaxen. |
Brown
Similar to black, but with brown on muzzle and flanks or
larger area. |
Blue Roan
BLACK points (including head), roaned body. |
Cremello
Light (or pink) skin over the body, white or
cream-colored hair and blue eyes. |
Palomino
Gold/yellow body and head, white mane/tail. |
Buckskin
Black points, mane, and tail. Gold/yellow body. May have
faint dorsal and sooting/countershading. |
Grullo
Black/dark points and dun factors, black or charcoal
head, silver or grayish body with all body hairs being uniform in color. |
Perlino
Light (or pink) skin over the body, white or
cream-colored hair and blue eyes. Mane, tail and lower legs
slightly darker than body color. This particular perlino is homozygous
for black pigment! |
Red Roan
Red points, roaned body. |
Bay Roan
BLACK points, brown/bay head, roaned body. Before 2002,
bay roans were registered as red roans or blue roans, but should now be
registered as bay roans. |
|
White
Body color white; skin is pink; eyes are usually dark;
small black spots may be found in the skin, but usually are not
accompanied by colored hair. Some white horses may be variegated,
meaning they have patches of colored hair, usually intermixed with
white. |
Red Dun
A form of dun with body color yellowish or flesh colored;
mane, tail and dorsal stripe are red. |
Dun
Body color yellowish or gold; mane and tail may be black,
brown, red, yellow, white or mixed; often has dorsal stripe, zebra
stripes on legs, transverse over withers. |
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What's the same about horses in this column?
The horses in this column all have
red-based legs. They are "ee" for Red Factor, meaning they are red
based and not black based. |
What's the same about horses in this column?
These horses all have at least two things in
common:
-
They all carry at least one non-red
gene (black), and so have black legs.
-
They all have at least one copy of
the dominant form of Agouti, so their bodies are
reddish brown/yellow instead of black or charcoal/mouse colored.
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What's the same about horses in this column?
These horses all have at least two things in
common:
-
They all carry at least one non-red
gene (black), and so have black legs.
-
They all have two copies of the
recessive form of Agouti, so their bodies are black or charcoal/mouse
colored instead of red or brown or yellow.
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What's the same about horses in this column?
This column is unique in that the colors
above are not uniformly affected by one color gene. It is safe to say that they
have white/extremely light hairs, but that this is not caused by the same genes.
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Color descriptions above composed with consideration to
AQHA color definitions.
See our Combinations page for horses with
multiple genes that affect their color.
Other Acceptable Color Dilutions
Although AQHA does not list specific registration options
for certain genes, there are some color modifiers that are acceptable to
AQHA. These include (but might not be limited to) the Champagne gene and the
Silver Dapple Gene.
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